1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to traffic safety devices and, more specifically, to vertical panel display systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Highway signs are generally used for promoting the safe passage of motor vehicles and/or pedestrians by advising of, for example, approaching unsafe driving conditions. These highway signs are generally provided with various highway legends, and are generally configured to flex in response to prevailing winds and wind gusts created by motor vehicles and the like.
It is known in the art to use a vertical panel system as a highway sign. In a typical vertical panel system, a vertical panel is on a collapsible support so that it folds down when impacted by a vehicle. This mitigates damage to the panel and the vehicle. A common example is an A-frame design consisting of two sides which are hinged together at the top. Each side has a panel attached to it. For support, the A-frame design is weighed down by sandbags. Upon impact, the A-frame folds flat. This design, while simple to build, is relatively unpredictable and requires at least two components, the A-frame and a sandbag, and maybe more than one sandbag.
An improvement on this idea is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,258 to Goff entitled xe2x80x9cCollapsible Warning Barricade Apparatusxe2x80x9d (xe2x80x9cGoffxe2x80x9d), which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Goff discloses a vertical panel pivotally attached to a base. The panel was maintained in a vertical position, with the use of a compression spring device that exerted a force on an automatic locking means at the pivot point. The automatic locking means has multiple elements that are coordinated to maintain the panel in an upright position until impact. Unfortunately, the design as disclosed in Goff is complicated to build and requires many parts.
It is also a problem with vertical panel systems that when they are impacted, the systems are dragged with the vehicle. As the base or support of the system is attached to the panel, both the panel and the base are damaged. Further, as the vehicle is dragging both the panel and the base, the vehicle incurs increased damage than if the panel was being dragged alone.
The prior art discloses a vertical panel system with a breakaway safety feature such that the panel separates from the base when impacted. This system is available under the trade name WindBreakers from Trafcon Industries Inc, 81 Texaco Road, Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17055. The WindBreakers"" panel is attached to the rubber base via a breakaway pin that is inserted through the width of the panel. A disadvantage of the WindBreaker is that a replacement pin must be used to reattached the panel to the base as the original pin shears upon separation. Another disadvantage is that the WindBreaker panel flexes in the wind. An additional disadvantage is that the panel does not easily release to stack the bases and panels flat.
Another prior art system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,954 to Junker. This system is similar to WindBreakers system discussed supra, in that a vertical panel 4 is secured to a base using a bolt and nut mechanical fastening combination. A disadvantage of this system is complexity. Additionally, the base securement is designed to be permanent, so there is no ability for the panel to break away from the base, short of the destruction of the system.
Still another prior art system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,225 to Warner. This patent discloses a vertical panel system wherein a vertical panel is secured to a base without the use of mechanical fasteners, by means of a friction/compression fit. However, although this approach is an improvement over the systems discussed supra, it still has a number of problems. For example, to effect the panel/base attachment, the bottom edge of the panel is merely inserted into a slot in the base. There is no structure to prevent the vertical panel from rocking from side to side, and the engagement between the panel and base is subject to wear of the interior surface of the base slot over time, until at a particular point in time the friction/compression fit will be inadequate to properly support the panel. Additionally, there is no structure to assist a user in inserting the panel into the slot.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a vertical panel system which is collapsible upon impact, the panel is separable from the base during impact, is easily stacked, and made from relatively few parts. It is also desirable to have a panel that can be reattached to the base without replacing parts. It is also desirable to have the panel surface protected from scratches and mars while it is being hit or dragged. It is also desirable to have a panel that does not flex from the wind force.
The present invention provides an advantageous improved vertical panel system, which comprises a vertical panel having a panel with opposing first and second panel surfaces and a base edge. The system further comprises a base having a slot for engaging the base edge of the panel. Advantageously, an aperture is disposed in the panel in proximity to the base edge, which is of sufficient size to receive a foot of a user, for assisting in the engagement of the panel and the base.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a base for a vertical panel system, which comprises a center zone fabricated of vulcanized rubber, and an outer zone fabricated of recycled rubber. A slot is disposed in the center zone for receiving a base end of a vertical panel in engagement therewith. This arrangement solves a need to be environmentally responsible and cost effective by recycling rubber which would otherwise fill our landfills, yet provides great durability by using virgin vulcanized rubber in the zone of the base which includes the engagement slot.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is disclosed a method of assembling a vertical panel system comprised of a vertical panel having a base end and an aperture sufficiently large to accommodate a user""s foot disposed adjacent to the base end. A base comprising a part of the system for ballasting the vertical panel has a slot for receiving the vertical panel base end. The inventive method comprises the steps of positioning the vertical panel over the base, so that the base end is in proximity to and just above the slot. Then, a user""s foot is placed through the aperture, whereupon the user presses downwardly with his or her foot to apply downward force on the vertical panel, so that the base end of the vertical panel is inserted into and becomes engaged with the slot. This innovative method avoids the problem of using one""s arms to press down from the top of the vertical panel, which can be a tiring and difficult job.